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A California bill to ban polystyrene containers—affectionately known as Styrofoam—won't go into effect until 2016, but people are already up in arms. (via the NY Daily News)

Democratic state Sen. Alan Lowenthal's bill to put a stop to Styrofoam use in grocery stores, restaurants, and food vendors is set to pass in the Senate. It would be the first state-wide ban of Styrofoam in the country, though over 50 cities in California, including San Francisco, have already enacted bans of their own.

Many have come to the aid of the ubiquitous containers: restaurant owners say the biodegradable alternatives are more expensive and less effective, while manufacturers like Dart claim they'll have to close two production plants that can't produce anything but Styrofoam.

Other critiques of the ban include the idea that "At the end of the day, people that litter don't care what type of product they're littering," making the ban on Styrofoam a cure of the symptom but not the disease.

On the other hand, environmentalists are pleased to see a ban on the non-compost-able, non-biodegradable, chemical-laden receptacles. It's notoriously hard to recycle, and when it breaks up in the ocean, it can be mistaken for food by wildlife.

Lost in the discussion is the clause in the bill that grants exemption to school districts and city and county jurisdictions that can recycle more than 60 percent of their foam waste. If communities can figure out ways to start recycling programs, they can avoid the issue altogether.

It would be interesting to see how this bill affects the rest of the nation, as California is commonly ahead of the curve on environmental law.

And thus, the debate between going green and continuing to be profitable, especially in trying economic times, continues.